[muller877]

I used it on Thursday at 5:20 and it departed ~85% full. There were lots of people alighting at Bloor and Weston, I counted over 25 at Bloor and I didn't catch all the exits.

I tried it from the west-end to downtown (via Dundas West) today to see how it was. Here's my thoughts:

- They need a video display in the tunnel at the Bloor station indicate GO vs UP ETA's. I was waiting on the UP platform (after I tapped on) and a GO train came in. Would be nice to be able to pick the quicker one.

- way too many Presto readers. Almost used the wrong one. More prominent GO vs UP signage needed. UP signage only says to Airport and not to Union (which is misleading)

- the connection sucks. The tunnels look like they were built ready to be upgraded and can't wait for the negotiations with the owner of the building to be complete

- I had to wait 13 minutes for a train. That being said the shelter was pleasant and it took about the same time to get downtown even with almost the longest wait possible.

- the train had people in every row. No one was sharing with a stranger but fairly busy. To get seats together one family had to change to the other train car

- 100x more relaxing than the subway. I will be checking for subway delays and will be using it when they occur.

- $7.60 to commute downtown vs $2.90 is a bit cost prohibitive. I would be willing to pay $5.80 for the train + subway on a daily basis but the $7.60 it a bit too much just for a more comfortable ride (I would pay the $7.60 if it was quicker...and would be with a tunnel connection + more frequent trains).

 

[Napoleon]

Just used UPX to get to the airport. I took the Dundas streetcar to Dundas West station and then got on the UPX. Frankly, at this price point, ($5 extra over the TTC from Bloor) I'll take it almost every time over going to Kipling and the 192 bus. It was very relaxing. Just one connection, and right to the airport. For me at least, they've hit the magic airport price point.

I was chatting with the woman checking tickets. She mentioned that since the fare dropped, the biggest increase has come from commuters from Weston. Will be interesting to see if this number holds true. I'm fully supportive of this, as long as it doesn't cut too much into the prime purpose of getting travelers to/from the airport.

I really hope they get the connection built between Dundas West and Bloor as soon as possible. It's really demotivating to have to walk outside between stations.

One other thought. They need to immediately ditch the onboard magazine. This just screams of inefficiency. It's cute, but it must cost several dollars just to print each copy, let alone production costs.

 

[SFO-YYZ]

One other thought. They need to immediately ditch the onboard magazine. This just screams of inefficiency. It's cute, but it must cost several dollars just to print each copy, let alone production costs.

Like you said, the primary purpose of UPX was (and still is) to get travelers to and from the airport, hence the onboard travel magazines... Also, keep in mind that Metrolinx sold ad spaces within the travel magazines to all the UPX corporate sponsors who are contributing to the cost, so they can't just halt production.

If they really want to go full spartan, they could get rid of a lot of extras - airline check-in kiosks, onboard LCD screens that display travel info, free wifi, the quirky uniforms, the cafe and gift shop at union, the union UP lounge, etc. etc. But these are part of a much larger decision that Metrolinx needs to make at a strategic level in terms of what to do with the UPX branding as they gradually transition to RER.

 

[Megaton327]

way too many Presto readers. Almost used the wrong one. More prominent GO vs UP signage needed. UP signage only says to Airport and not to Union (which is misleading)

Actually that's deliberate, because for travel between Bloor/Weston/Union you're generally supposed to use the GO readers as the include a free transfer to any other GO service, as well as the Presto monthly loyalty discount, and I believe Post-Secondary Student fares. Right now there is about a $0.25 fare difference, if I recall correctly, between the UPX and GO readers, but that is supposed to be fixed in a couple of months--and at any rate, most passengers will be using one or more out of the free transfer/monthly discount/postsec fare.

While nothing is stopping you from using the UPX reader Bloor-Union, they are labelled the way they are for a good reason--it really only makes sense to use it going to the airport (where you must use it as there are no go readers).

I do, however, hope that they a) remove and replace all of the UPX Presto readers with GO ones across all stations including Pearson, or b) on the backend reconfigure the UPX readers to function 100% identically to the GO ones so that the fare/loyalty discount/transfer/fare categories are the same on both, and one can even tap on using one type and off with the other seamlessly.

 

[Palma]

Just used UPX to get to the airport. I took the Dundas streetcar to Dundas West station and then got on the UPX. Frankly, at this price point, ($5 extra over the TTC from Bloor) I'll take it almost every time over going to Kipling and the 192 bus. It was very relaxing. Just one connection, and right to the airport. For me at least, they've hit the magic airport price point.

I was chatting with the woman checking tickets. She mentioned that since the fare dropped, the biggest increase has come from commuters from Weston. Will be interesting to see if this number holds true. I'm fully supportive of this, as long as it doesn't cut too much into the prime purpose of getting travelers to/from the airport.

I really hope they get the connection built between Dundas West and Bloor as soon as possible. It's really demotivating to have to walk outside between stations.

One other thought. They need to immediately ditch the onboard magazine. This just screams of inefficiency. It's cute, but it must cost several dollars just to print each copy, let alone production costs.

I was told at a Metrolinx meeting, the path from Dundas West to UPX stop is not a necessity so metrolinx will not expropriate. Homeowners don't wand to sell even though she said Metrolinx pays market value or above, pays taxes, legal costs, packing and transporting of furniture but she said when their is an emotional value (say wife died) then money does not help. In time when the residents pass on then Metrolinx can acquire the property. They said they expropriate only when its necessary i.e the houses are in the path of the line, which it is not.

 

[nfitz]

I was told at a Metrolinx meeting, the path from Dundas West to UPX stop is not a necessity so metrolinx will not expropriate. Homeowners don't wand to sell even though she said Metrolinx pays market value or above, pays taxes, legal costs, packing and transporting of furniture but she said when their is an emotional value (say wife died) then money does not help. In time when the residents pass on then Metrolinx can acquire the property. They said they expropriate only when its necessary i.e the houses are in the path of the line, which it is not.

Which houses? I don't recall any houses.

 

[Palma]

Which houses? I don't recall any houses.

WE asked why was there no tunnel between Dundas West and the UPX (I assumed there was already a connection). The woman there said its because some landowners (maybe it was homeowners) do not want to sell. I do not remember myself if there were houses or not cause it was cold the day we went and I had my coat and hat on and was looking at the ground as I walked, For her to say Metrolinx cannot do anything when there is an emotional bond to a house etc, etc. Are there not houses there along that route?

 

[Jonny5]

I was told at a Metrolinx meeting, the path from Dundas West to UPX stop is not a necessity so metrolinx will not expropriate. Homeowners don't wand to sell even though she said Metrolinx pays market value or above, pays taxes, legal costs, packing and transporting of furniture but she said when their is an emotional value (say wife died) then money does not help. In time when the residents pass on then Metrolinx can acquire the property. They said they expropriate only when its necessary i.e the houses are in the path of the line, which it is not.

Homeowners?

I was under the impression this would connect through the shopping concourse of The Crossways apartment towers, and they simply declined to allow it. There are zero houses there.

 

[nfitz]

Homeowners?

I was under the impression this would connect through the shopping concourse of The Crossways apartment towers, and they simply declined to allow it. There are zero houses there.

It is Crossways. GO Transit has been negotiating with them since the 1980s. It requires the loss of some parking spots in their parking structure - though presumably there'd be some entrance into the shopping mall.

I have no idea where this "house" thing is coming from.

 

[TOareaFan]

ridership update

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/tra...ss-ridership-spikes-after-fare-reduction.html

 

[TOareaFan]

It is Crossways. GO Transit has been negotiating with them since the 1980s. It requires the loss of some parking spots in their parking structure - though presumably there'd be some entrance into the shopping mall.

I have no idea where this "house" thing is coming from.

it kinda sounds like some ML staffer was answering an expropriation question in a general sense rather than specifically about this project.

 

[Palma]

Homeowners?

I was under the impression this would connect through the shopping concourse of The Crossways apartment towers, and they simply declined to allow it. There are zero houses there.

I am just repeating what the Metrolinx employee told me when i asked why no connection.

 

[Palma]

it kinda sounds like some ML staffer was answering an expropriation question in a general sense rather than specifically about this project.

I specifically asked her why is Dundas west not joined up. She said because landowners do not want to sell. I thought Metrolinx did not give market value and thats when she gave me her speech about Metrolinx taking care of legal costs, etc, etc but that when there is an emotional bond than nothing Metrolinx can do. Why would she not say that the apartment owners do not want to sell? Whats the big deal with saying the truth

 

[TOareaFan]

I specifically asked her why is Dundas west not joined up. She said because landowners do not want to sell. I thought Metrolinx did not give market value and thats when she gave me her speech about Metrolinx taking care of legal costs, etc, etc but that when there is an emotional bond than nothing Metrolinx can do. Why would she not say that the apartment owners do not want to sell? Whats the big deal with saying the truth

I have no idea, I was simply trying to guess...and it sounded like, maybe, they did not realize you were asking about that site specifically but about expropriation generally.

This is what it looks like between the GO corridor and the subway...look, ma, no houses!

 

[TOareaFan]

this was supposed to be above